Multiple hole punch



Jan. 5, 1965 H. H. ALI-DIS MULTIPLE HOLE PUNCH Filed June 27. 1961INVENTOR. Harold H. Alldis BY A florneys United States Patent ()fitice3,154,50 Patented Jan. 5, 1965 3,164,050 MULTIPLE HOLE PUNCH Harold H.Alldis, 3066 Stelling Drive, Palo Alto, Calif. Filed June 27, 1961 Ser.No. 120,026 1 Claim. (Cl. 83-387) This invention relates to a multiplehole punch and more particularly to a punch for punching at least twoholes simultaneously and which is provided with a holddown mechanism forholding down the material being punched.

There is a need for a multiple hole punch which can be utilized forpunching accurately spaced and aligned holes. Heretofore, such aprecision punch has not been available.

In general, it is an object of the present invention to provide amultiple hole punch which will make it possible to punch at least twoholes simultaneously with accurate spacing and alignment of the holes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a multiple hole punch ofthe above character which makes it possible to consistently duplicatepunched holes from one or more punches.

Another object of the invention is to provide a multiple hole punch ofthe above character in which a unique hold; down mechanism isincorporated in the punch and is utilized for holding the material fiatwhile it is being punched.

Another object of the invention is to provide a multiple hole punch ofthe above character with a hold-down mechanism which applies evenpressure to the material being punched to thereby remove any tendency ofthe material to curl or crawl while the holes are being punched.

Another object of the invention is to provide a multiple hole punch witha hold-down mechanism of the above character which can be economicallymanufactured.

Additional objects and features of the invention will appear from thefollowing description in which the preferred embodiment is set forth indetail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Referring to the drawings:

' FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a multiple hole punch incorporatingmy invention.

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view of the multiple hole punch shown inFIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view of the punch shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIGURE 3.

In general, my multiple hole punch consists of a base with a pluralityof punches mounted on the base. Each of the punches. includes avertically reciprocable die. A common operating shaftjoins the punchesand serves to raise and lower the vertically reciprocable dies as theshaft is rotated. A handle is mounted on the shaft for rotation of theshaft. Hold-down means is mounted on the dies and is reciprocable withthe dies and serves to hold the material to be punched in place as thedies are lowered. This hold-down means includes a hold-down bar andmeans for securing the hold-down bar to the reciprocable dies. Theattachment means includes spring means permitting relative movementbetween the bar and the dies to accommodate material of difierentthicknesses and also to ensure that the material is firmly held in placeduring the punching operation.

As is shown in the drawing, my multiple hole punch consists of arectangular base board 11 of suitable material such as plywood coveredwith Formica. A groove 12 is cut into the top surface on one edge of thebase board 11 and receives a base plate 13 of the punch assembly 14. Thebase plate 13 is formed of a suitable material such as cast aluminum. Aplurality of punch heads 16 are mounted on the base plate 13 and arealigned and accurately spaced on the base plate. Any desired number ofpunch heads can be utilized. For example, as shown in the drawing, threepunch heads can be utilized.

Each of the punch heads consists of a punch housing 17 which is providedwith a foot portion 17a which is secured to the base 13 by suitablemeans such as a screw 18. The punch housing is provided with a shoulder17b and a portion 170. The portion 170 is parallel to and spaced fromthe base plate 13 to form a recess 19. A common shaft 20 extends betweenthe punch heads 16 and is rotatably mounted in the punch heads. A geargroove or keyway 21 is cut along the entire length of the shaft 20. Thisgear groove 21 drives a tooth 22 provided on a reciprocable male die 23which is mounted for vertical movement within the punch housing. Thisarrangement provides cooperative means for driving the male dies ashereinafter described. Spring means in the form of a spring 24 isprovided in each housing 17 for yieldably retaining the male punch die23 in an uppermost position as shown in FIGURE 2. The male punch die 23is provided with a shoulder 26 which is adapted to engage the upperportion of the punch housing 17 to limit the upward travel of the punchdie. In addition upward tnavel is limited by the tooth 22 binding in thegroove 21 as shown in FIGURE 4. A handle 28 is mounted on the shaft 20adjacent the intermediate punch 16 and is provided for the purpose ofrotating the shaft to thereby cause lowering of the male punch dies 23and to urge the same into holes 31 provided in the base 13 and whichserve as female dies. Upon release of the handle 28, the dies are movedupwardly out of the holes or dies 31 by the springs 24 pro vided in thepunches.

Hold-down means is mounted on the dies and is reciprocable with the maledies to hold the material while it is being punched. The hold-down meansconsists of an angle bar 36 which lies in a plane generally parallel tothe plane of the base plate 13. The bar 36 is provided with one leg 36awhich extends toward the rear of the board and lies in a plane parallelto the base plate 13 and another leg 361; which is perpendicular to theleg 36a and extends vertically from the base plate 13 and the base board11. It will be noted that the portion 36a of the bar 36 underlies thepunch head as shown particularly in FIGURE 4 and is adapted to limit theupward travel of the hold-down assembly as well as limiting the upwardtravel of the male punches 23. However, it is apparent that if desiredthe bar 36 can be provided with cut outs below the punch head so thatthe bar will not engage the punch heads. .In this way the bar 36 willnot limit the upward travel. Attaching means is provided for securingthe bar to the reciprocable male dies 23 and consists of at least twosupport members 37 which are se- "cured to the bar by suitable meanssuch as screws 38. A

vertically extending rod 39 is slidably mounted in each of the supportmembers 37 and is connected to a horizontally extending link 41 bysuitable means such as a screw 42. The links 41 are secured to thevertically reciprocable male dies 23 by suitable means such as capscrews. 43 which extend through the link 41 and are threaded into theexposed cylindrical portion of the male punch dies 23.

A pin 46 is mounted in the lower extremity of each of the rods 39 andextends forwardly out through a slot 51 provided in each of the supportmembers 37. The slot 51, as can be seen particularly from FIGURE 1, isan elongate slot and extends vertically of the member 37. A spring 52 ismounted within each of the members 37 and has its lower end engaging themember 37 and its upper end engaging the lower end of the rod 39. Anotch 56 is provided in the hold-down bar 36 to accommodate the handle56 as it is pushed downwardly.

and spacing of the heads.

Operation and use of my multiple hole punch may now be briefllydescribed as follows. Let it be assumed that the punch is in theposition shown in FIGURE 1. The material to be punched is then placed onthe base boardv 11 and slid intothe grooves 19 of the punches 16 sothat: it abuts the shoulders 17!) provided on the punch heads.v As soonas the sheet of material has been properly positioned, the sheet can beheld by one hand and the handle- 28 grasped by the other hand and movedforwardly andv downwardly to cause rotation of the shaft 20 for thethree punch heads 16. T he cut-out h accommodates the handle 28 as thedies or punches are pushed downwardly. As the male punch dies 23 arelowered by rotation of the shaft 20, the rods 39 are also lowered topermit the members 37 and the hold-down bar 35 carried thereby to dropdownwardly so that the bar 36 comes into engagement with the material tobe punched. Continued downward movement of the male punch dies and therotation of the shaft 20 continues to move the rods 39 downwardly. Thesprings 52 and the slots 51 permit relative movement between thehold-down bar 56 and the punch dies 23. The spring 52, however, causesapplication of a uniform pressure over the entire length of the sheet ofmaterial so that the sheet of material is held securely with evenpressure to thereby remove any tendency of the sheet of material to curlor crawl while the holes are being punched by the male punch diestravelling through After the holes have been punched, the handle isreleased and the handle 28, the shaft 20 and the male punch dies arecarried upwardly by the springs 24 within the punch heads. During theinitial raising of the male punch 'dies, the hold-down barfid willremain in engagement with the sheet of material because the pins 46 arenot in engagernent with the upper ends of the slots. However, continuedupward travel of the male dies continues to lift the pins 46 until theycome into engagement with the upper ends of the slots 51 to lift themembers 37 and the hold-down bar supported thereby from the sheet ofmaterial. This movement continues until the leg 36a of the hold-down barengages the lower portion of the punch heads to limit the upward travelof the male punch dies. Therefore, it can be seen that as soon as thehandle 28 has been released, the sheet of material can be re moved andanothersheet punched in a manner similar to that hereinbefore described.7

It will be noted that my punch is constructed in such a manner that itcan perform rugged heavy duty operations such as the punching of heavyart board, Mylar," light metal plates, unexposed film, photosensitivemate rials, overlays or masking materials. The punch heads .areaccurately spaced and aligned on the plate 13 to make it possible toobtain dependable duplication of punched holes where two or more punchesare utilized in a plant -or single location.

. My multiple hole punch is constructed in such a manner that it can beeconomically manufactured. It is also manufactured in such a manner thatparts can be replaced while still retaining the same accurate alignmentThe hold-down mechanism which is carried by the punches makes itpossible to apply uniform pressure to the material while it is beingpunched to thereby remove any tendency of the material to curl or crawlwhile the holes are'being punched.

Although I have shown the hold-down means to be attached to only two ofthe punch heads, it is readily apparent that, if desired, the hold-downbar can be attached to additional punch heads.

I claim:

In a multiple hole punch for punching holes in sheets of material, abase, said base having a relatively large upwardly facing worksupporting surface which is planar throughout its entire area, aplurality of spaced punch heads mounted on said base adjacent one marginof the base, each of the punch heads having a vertically reciprocablemale die, a common operating shaft connecting said punch heads, one ofthe punch heads being located at each end of the common operating shaft,a handle affixed to said shaft for rotation of the shaft, cooperativemeans carried by the shaft and vertically reciprocable male dies wherebyas the shaft is rotated back and forth by the handle afixed thereto, thevertical reciprocable male dies are raised and lowered, female diesmounted on the base adjacent the punch heads and adapted to receive themale dies as they are lowered, and hold-down means mounted on the maledies and reciprocable with the male dies, said hold-down meanscomprising a single unitary elongate L-shaped hold-down member extendingbetween all of the punch heads and being connected at least two of thevertically reciprocable male dies so that the male dies and thehold-down member are movable in unison, the L-shaped hold-down memberhaving one leg with a planar lower surface lying in a plane parallel tothe planar upwardly facing work surface of the base and having a portionthereof underlying said male dies, said leg of the L-shaped hold-downmember being provided with holes in alignment with the male dies topermit the male dies to pass therethrough, said hold-down member beingpositioned on the male dies so that as the male dies are moveddownwardly by operation of the handle afiixed to said shaft, thehold-down member is first moved into engagement with the sheet ofmaterial to be punched to grasp and hold the sheet before the male diesare moved into contact therewith and to apply an even pressure to thesheet of material as the male dies are being advanced therethrough intothe female dies to thereby remove any tendency of the sheet of materialto curl or crawl while the holes are being punched by the male dies.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS385,056 Jensen June 26, 1888 802,253 Andresen Oct. 17, 1905 1,633,196Siarkowski June 21, 1927 2,408,330 Miller Sept. 24, 1946 2,660,245 MarshNov. 24, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 14,743 Great Britain 1905

